The US Treasury Department announced that it had imposed sanctions on individuals and entities alleged to be linked to Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). In a statement, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said these measures target financial networks allegedly connected to the Iranian administration.
According to OFAC's statement, Ali Ansari was added to the sanctions list on the allegation that he acted as a "financial facilitator" acting in the interests of Mojtaba Khamenei and other senior Iranian officials. It was claimed that Ansari channeled funds from state sources into a broad portfolio of real estate and commercial assets abroad.
The sanctions also encompass Iranian exchange bureaus that are alleged to have conducted transactions on behalf of previously sanctioned Iranian banks and used numerous shell companies. Mohammad Derbani, Mohsen Handan, Ahmad Navai Lavasani, and Amir Navai, connected to the exchange company Partners Exchange, were also added to the sanctions list. Smart Global Limited, registered in St. Kitts and Nevis, was also sanctioned on the grounds of its connection to Ali Ansari.
New Development in US-Iran Tensions
This sanctions decision came amid ongoing tensions between the two countries. On June 14, the US and Iran signed the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding aimed at ending the war, with a 60-day negotiation period envisaged. However, after the US launched new attacks on Iranian soil on July 8, Tehran responded by targeting American military bases in neighboring countries.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that the US violated its obligations under the memorandum, and
Iran kept its word; the so-called US Treasury Secretary, however, violated Article 9 of the memorandum.
